At one point in Sweet Kaaram Coffee, Kaveri (Madhoo) realises her husband Rajarathinam (Kavin Jay Babu) has been gaslighting her in many instances. In fact, Kaveri's mother-in-law Sundari (Lakshmi) too points out that the former has been too much of a pushover. Kaveri loses her cool and starts berating him. Noticing that their daughter Niveditha (Santhy) is privy to the conversation, Kaveri immediately interjects, "No No… he is not that bad a person either." That one scene speaks volumes about Kaveri, who is a representation of 'domesticated' women who can't even lament in peace. Conceptualised by Vinithra Menon, created by Reshma Ghatala, and directed by Swathi Raghuraaman, Bejoy Nambiar, and Krishna Marimuthu, Sweet Kaaram Coffee is a travel film that talks about three such women, and how sometimes the destination is as important as the journey.
Director: Swathi Raghuraaman, Bejoy Nambiar, Krishna Marimuthu
Cast: Lakshmi, Madhoo, Santhy, Vamsi Krishna, Dev, Kavin Jay Babu
Streaming on: Prime Video
The three women of the family, who feel invisible in their respective lives, decide to take off on a trip without involving the men. While Sundari has someone she wants to meet after decades together, Nivedhitha wants to move away from a bad phase in her relationship with Karthik (Dev). Kaveri just wants to ensure her husband and son (Bala) miss her presence in the house and crave her attention. Over the course of 8 episodes, a few thousand kilometres on the road, a lot of laughs, a few tears, and immense camaraderie, each of these women find a way to come to terms with their problems.
The first strength of the series is how these problems are recognisable, and consequently relatable. If Sundari rants about her son's 'care' being suffocating, Nivedhitha wants Karthik to realise her dreams and ambitions have the same importance. It was actually shattering to see Kaveri talking to her zoned-out and unresponsive husband with the ease of someone who has been doing it for years. These are just the tip of the iceberg, and the road trip is almost like an underwater dive that shows more of the iceberg. What is freedom? What is suffocation? How does it feel to be invisible? What if one's ambitions aren't as lofty as another's? Should one's desires be judged? What are gender roles? What is generational trauma? Is life a series of cyclical events? Is love enough? How many second chances can be given? Why is the grass always greener on the other side? The series poses such existential and some uncomplicated questions that it might not always have answers for, but tries to open up the mind to the possibility of such conversations.
In fact, the lifeline of Sweet Kaaram Coffee is definitely the conversations that happen between the three women. It respects age and experience but doesn't relegate Niveditha to just being a brash and young kid whose opinions don't matter. Points to the makers for treading this fine line, and not pulling back punches when aimed at the old and experienced either. Lakshmi, who is returning to Tamil after a really long time shows us why there can be just one Lakshmi. She plays Sundari with equal parts vulnerability and bravura and can hold close-ups like it is nobody's business. The youngest, Santhy, who is gradually making quite a name for herself, aces the role of the person who has to act above her age on the trip and breaks down in a way that can only happen when surrounded by comfort. However, the revelatory performer in Sweet Kaaram Coffee is Madhoo. It is a revelation not because it is surprising, but because it was forgotten how much fun she used to have on screen before becoming this poster girl for serious roles. Her Kaveri is the backbone of the series because it is the grounding character with a story that is most relatable to our households. We might not always have a grandmother with a backstory or a 20+-year-old cricketer with a fight to prove the worth of women's cricket and her own too, but we will always know of a neglected woman, who continues to go about her familial duties because the system will crumble otherwise.
Sweet Kaaram Coffee touches upon various impressive themes that are pertinent to the growth of a woman in this society. The need for friendships and companionships outside the confines of a family is an important acknowledgment that is rarely seen on screen. Not for a moment, do the makers paint it as something amoral. Also, I'd have liked to know more about Kaveri's family because so much is shown about how she is the 'perfect' wife/mom/daughter-in-law, and it would have been fascinating to see if that translates into being the 'perfect' daughter or does she really have a place to go and unwind and the dual lives that most women lead in our world. Or was this a deliberate showcase of how skewed the system is?
It is also interesting how the makers don't vilify the men despite surmounting pieces of evidence against them. The actors too convincingly tread the thin line between being outright villains and good people making bad choices. However, the series lets them off the hook without much of a struggle. Karthik apologises… when pointed out his mistakes. Rajarathinam apologises… when pointed out his mistakes. Bala turns over a new leaf just because his mom isn't around. The changes happen a bit too quickly and conveniently in a series that does better when it is about the bonding of the women on the road. Would things have changed if the points were made without them going on this impulsive road trip leaving all of them behind? Wouldn't it have been dismissed as just another rant?
Sweet Kaaram Coffee gets so much right that it makes us let the wrongs off the hook a tad bit more easily. In the Tamil OTT space, which was slightly getting overcrowded with thrillers and mysteries, Sweet Kaaram Coffee is a refreshing addition. It might not be a road less travelled, but going down this road is all about comfort… a comfort that comes from the presence of being around family… the familiar… basically.. a comfort that comes from… home.
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